This item is half of an experimental silicon grown junction transistor
crystal grown by Walt Runyan in about 1956.

After being grown in a helium atmosphere, a crystal was cut in half and
a resistivity profile measured. If acceptable, the crystal was cut into
transistor bars with the junction approximately in the middle. The
characteristics of the transistors were established when the crystal was
grown. The crystal design and growing procedure was established in the
spring of 1954, resulting in the first available production silicon
transistor.